1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to components for interconnecting electrical devices, and more particularly, to a connector for a conductive cable that rotates or swivels about the terminal to which it is engaged.
2. Related Art
Electronic systems are typically comprised of several distinct sub-components or hardware device modules that are interconnected. Each of the sub-components serves a specific purpose, which together in combination provides the overall functionality of the system. There are numerous examples of such modular systems in a variety of fields. While higher-level functionalities may be incorporated into different components, a simple example is an external power supply. A battery or a generator may provide electrical power, but the form in which it is provided may not be suitable for a given electronic device. Thus, a power supply including a transformer and/or signal conditioning circuitry can be connected to the source. As one example application, a vehicle-mounted Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver may be powered by an external power supply that is connected to the primary battery of the vehicle.
A common connection modality between such modular components is an electrically conductive cable that has at least one line dedicated for signal transmission. One or both of the modular components may have a terminal. In some cases, the cable may be attached permanently to component, in which case a terminal would not be necessary therefor. The free end(s) of the cable have connectors that can be mated to the terminal. The connector (on the cable end) and the terminal (on the component end) are typically configured in pairs, in which a socket is fitted within a receptacle and electrical contacts of the two are connected to each other. The length of the interconnection between various components may also be increased by linking socket/receptacle pairs of multiple cables. Numerous connector standards define various dimensional features of the connectors and terminals to ensure physical interconnectivity. At a minimum, the connector standards define which contacts on the terminal correspond to the contacts of the connector, so that signals are consistently transmitted across the cable without one contact being cross-linked to a different contact. Thus, in the example of the power supply, the power line of the cable end is not shorted to ground, and so forth. In some instances, the standard may also define the contents of the signal traversing various lines within the cable.
For applications where the sub-components are frequently connected and disconnected, the durability of the connector between the cable and the terminal is a significant design objective. A related issue associated with the frequent movement or connection/disconnection of cables is its propensity to twist, tangle, and/or kink, leading to disorder at the very least, and possibly even damage to the cable, the connector, and the electrical components. With the vehicle-mounted GPS units mentioned in the example above, the power cable may be routed from a variety of different directions. Thus, various rotating or swiveling connectors have been developed, though weaknesses associated with the moving joints of such connectors persist. A further design parameter of connectors is the environment in which the electronic systems are deployed. In many cases, the systems are deployed under harsh conditions such as dusty/sandy environments, wet environments, and extreme cold or hot temperature environments.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved swivel connector that is resilient to withstand frequent engagement and disengagement from the terminal, as well as being substantially impervious to environmental conditions.